Sunday, November 30, 2014

ATHARV VED

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Photo: {{ Why there are so many Gods in Hinduism?? A must read article for all hindus and also others who have some doubts about Hinduism}}

Simon Smite, Shwetakshi Sharma, Es Ra , Caralee Wilkins and many others have same question::

Why there are so many Gods in Hinduism??

Thank you for asking such a question I am waiting for someone to ask this question.  I have given answer to this question in all my analysis in my recent posts. In this post we will examine some of my posts and examine is there is one God or there are many.

First you have to learn what is God actually is::

Lets examine what Bhagwat Gita say about it:

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 4:

"Sri Krishna said: By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6:

"Sri Krishna said: Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me."

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 8:

"Sri Krishna said: The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end."

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 17:

"Sri Krishna said: Know that to be imperishable & indestructible, by which all this is pervaded; for none can bring about the destruction of this indestructible substance, the imperishable soul."

Now everything which is present in whole universe this planet or that planet is manifestation of Brahman i.e Brahman present in everything everywhere, Brahman can be with form or without form.

The Rig Veda says that by desire (RV 10.12.94), the initial manifestation of the material universe came into being from Hiranyagarbha (literally "golden womb"), out of which the world, organisms and divine beings (devas) arose:

"Great indeed are the devas who have sprung out of Brahman." — Atharva Veda.

Saguna Brahman with infinite attributes and is the source of the impersonal Nirguna Brahman, and Brahman's energy is regarded as Devi or shakti.

Vishnu is traditionally derived from the root "Vish" which means to enter or pervade, and He is called Vishnu because He pervades the whole universe. Brahmanda Purana (1.4.25) says that He is called as Vishnu because He has entered into everything in the universe. The most important aspect is that the whole universe is covered by only three steps of Vishnu which is referred to several times in the Vedas (Rig Veda 1.22.17, 1.154. 3, 1.155.4, Atharva Veda 7.26.5, Yajur Veda 2.25). In His three steps rests the whole universe (Rig Veda 1.154.2, Yajur Veda 23.49). All indeed is Brahman, which can thus be identified with Vishnu, based on the Vedas.


Brahman is neither limited to abstract or concrete concepts. But it is easier to establish a conscious relationship with the Providence in terms of benevolent fatherhood or an affectionate, kindly motherhood ....than by the concept of an unfathomable void.
Brahman is devoid of qualities, in reality, ......but a relative superimposition of the positive ideals of goodness and virtue is essential for self-culture and spiritual progress of the aspirant.

The Upasana or the worship of the Universal Mother leads to the attainment of the knowledge of the Self.

The Yaksha Prasna in KenOpanishad supports this view.
• Approach Her with an open heart.
• Lay bare your mind with frankness and humility.
• Let your thoughts be pure and sublime.
• Become as simple as a child. Pulverise your individual entity, the egoistic nature, cunningness, selfishness and crookedness.
• Make a total unreserved, ungrudging self-surrender to Her.
• Chant Her Mantras.
• Worship Her with faith and unflinching devotion.


Please find the whole post here-->>
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=506576562706079&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=518155081548227&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=507940939236308&set=a.478319532198449.110676.478241992206203&type=1&permPage=1

Now one may say Krishna is manisfestation of Vishnu, then what about Shiva. Shiva and Vishnu are one and the same. Lets examine how:

, let me quote from Annamaacharya, the great Vaak-geya-kaaraka of Aandhra Pradesh, in one of his divya sankeertana “Enta maatramuna evvaru talichina ….” says:

How much ever one imagines that much only are You:

For Vaishnavas You are Vishnu
For Vedaantas You are Parabrahma
For Shaivas and other bhaktas You are Shiva
For Kaapaalikas You are Kaala-Bhairava
For Shaakteyaas You are Shakti
For people with alpa-buddhi You appear as alpam
For people who know Your Garima and have Ghana-buddhi You are a Ghana
For people who are Sharanaagati You are Venkateshvara.

One episode from Mahabharat ::

Once Shri Krishna, the avataar of Mahaavishnu, came to Upamanyu maharshi, when he was at Himaalayas. Shri Krishna said “Upamanyu muniindra! You are the greatest in the Shiva Bhaktas. I came here to do Tapas of Paramashiva to get santaanam. Please teach Me Shaiva-vidhi and vidhaanam”.

Upamanyu replied “O Shri Krishna! I know who You are. Shiva puuja is not new to You. Though You know it, to make everybody know, I will tell You …” Saying thus, Upamanyu told Shri Krishna how to do Shiva-aaraadhana.

There are thousands of such kind of Incidents in puranas, if I tell you them one by one memory of facebook will be scrapped. 

This happened after the episode of Naarada, coming under Vishnu maaya, gives shaapam to Vishnu: (This is one of the reasons of Shri Raama avatar)
Naarada says “Svaami! Please forgive Me. I, coming under influence of Your maaya, got ahankaar and did Your ninda. Please tell Me what can save Me from this ghora-paapam”. Vishnu says:

“O Priya Naarada! You go and do paaraayana of Shankara Shatanaamams. Then You will get Shaanti. Shiva is whom I respect the most. Even by mistake dont forget this. One who doesnt have Shiva-anugraham cannot be My Bhakta. Believe this … Then My maaya wont affect you.”

Once Vyaasa Bhagavaan came under the influence of Shiva-maaya and started telling in his Pravachanams that Vishnu is greater than Shiva. Once Nandeeshvara also heard Vyaasa Bhagavaan saying this. Vishnu Murty then appeared before Veda Vyaasa and told Him “O Maharshi! Dont you know that I and Shiva are the same? Knowing this why are you telling like this in your pravachanams?” Veda Vyaasa then had great pashchaattaapam and asked Kshama from Nandeeshvara.

The phalam of Vishnu Pooja is Shiva Bhakti — the example is that of Arjuna. Arjuna ofcourse was the greatest Shri Krishna Bhakta. But it was Shiva who gave Arjuna moksham, when Arjuna was born as Bhakta Kannappa, in the great Kaalahastsi Kshetram.

Similarly the phalam of Shiva Pooja is Shri Raama Bhakti — the examples are stories of Kaaka Bhushundi and Valmiki Maharshi. Kaaka Bhushundi was a great Shiva Bhakta and hence Shiva grants him Raama Bhakti Saamraajyam. Valmiki did tapas for Shiva using the Panchaakshari mantram given to him by the great Saptarshis and as a result became the Aadi Kavi and wrote the great Raamaayanam.

That means what you thinks of God, because of your devotion and love, God becomes what you think. 
Shankaracharya of Advaita philosophy says there is nothing but God in this world. That means everything in this world is manifestion of the God’s power. 

Rig Veda 1.164.46 tells the same truth:

Indram Mitram Varunamagnimahuratho divyaha sa suparano garutamaan |
Ekam sadvipro bahuda vandyatyagnim yamam maatarishwaanmaahuh ||

‘They (the men of wisdom) call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, and he is the heavenly, noble-winged Garutman. The God is one, but sages call it by many names; they call it Agni, Yama, Matarishvan (and so on).

Now question arises that if God is one what about quarrels about two god and one god is helping other??

One may now wonder why Puranas mention Shiva, Vishnu, Agni, Yama, Indra, etc as seperate Gods/demigods. This question has been answered by great prophets like Ramanujacharya and Madhwacharya as below:

Antaryami (residing in the heart or the source) of each demigods is one God, which the prophets called as Lord Vishnu. The prayers when addressed to gods it is addressed to “antaryami” of each devata which is Vishnu (or Narayana or Krishna). This is also emphaised in Srimad Bhagavatam. Everything in this world is a manifestation of the God. Dvaitha and Vishistadwaitha philosophies of Ramanujacharya and Madhwacharya infact gave clearer picture of Vedas.

These are called as leelas of one God, so that normal Human Being can get teaching and morals from that story, cant you recycle your memory in go into childhood when your dadi nani told you a story about Hanuman, Vishnu, Shiva and give a moral line after that. The is the basic meaning. 

Please find the whole post from here-->>

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=513694888660913&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

God Manifests according to love of devotee:

You should first consider that God is one. He can manifest himself according to love of devotee. If you love him as Krishna he will remain Krishna for you, if you love him as Shiva he will be remain Shiva for you. As Krishna says in Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four-Verse 11 also.

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Howsoever, men approach Me & surrender unto Me, even so do I seek them; for all men follow Me & My path in all respects."

i.e whoever you worship, you actually worship one God in different form or manifestations.


Now question arises why God take form?

From Thirumanthiram:

"Descending from the sky (Supreme state), taking form according to the karama (accumulated by the soul), providing the cool feet as the great protection, melting (the soul) from inside, showing the fountainhead of peerless bliss, (God) got rid of my dirt!"

i.e The Shiva who is beyond forms and names, in order to lift up the souls who are suffering due to the dirty parasite called "ANavam",takes forms appropriate to the karma we have accumulated. These are the shivalinga and mAheshwara murthams
All these forms are to help us hold on to the Divine. We hold these forms according to our tendencies. They help us open the fountain-head of bliss.

Also, from Sivagnana Sidhdhiyar 

" (God) Taking forms (rupa), standing beyond the forms as formless (arupa) and when taking formless-form (arupa-rupa - linga) got both aspects (form and formless). All the three are due to the Grace that came to help us get rid of our births. "

i.e Formless, formless-form (shivalinga) and form are the three ways God stands. All the three are for us to worship and get uplifted.

Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha etc and their abode are real and symbolic meaning both. God take form and do leelas so that their devotees learn from their leelas. Many of us search the symbolic meaning of these leelas. Every leela have some story and some moral value so that devotee seek God in that form and learn something from that. You have to seek knowledge from that whether it is symbolic meaning or real moral values. Many see Ramayan and Mahabharat in a symbolic meaning and other see that a real event, it is upto you how you want to interpret. Both have some meaning and own values. 

did Shiva walk on Earth? This question become answered by above explanation. whole earth is his why cant he walk on earth. He is infinite and as small as atom he is arupa but can have rupa. 

See what Adi Shankaracharya about Shiva ::

"" Forgive me
Oh, Shiva
My three great sins!
I came on a pilgrimage to Kashi forgetting that, you are omnipresent.
In thinking about you I forgot that, You are beyond thought.
In praying to You I forgot that, You are beyond words.""

Om, I am neither the mind, intelligence, ego, nor ‘chitta,’ 
Nor the senses of smell and sight, neither ether, nor air, 
I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva! 

I am neither the ‘prana,’ nor the five vital breaths, 
Neither the seven elements of the body, nor its five sheaths, 
Nor hands, nor feet, nor tongue, nor other organs of action. 
I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva! 

Neither fear, greed, nor delusion, loathing, nor liking have I, 
Nothing of pride, of ego, of 'dharma' or Liberation, 
Neither desire of the mind, nor objects for its desiring. 
I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva! 

Nothing of pleasure and pain, of virtue and vice, do I know, 
Of mantra, of sacred place, of Vedas or Sacrifice, 
Neither I am the eater, the food or the act of eating. 
I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva! 

Death or fear, I have none, nor any distinction of 'caste,' 
Neither father, nor mother, nor even a birth, have I, 
Neither friend, nor comrade, neither disciple, nor guru. 
I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva! 

I have no form or fancy, the All Pervading am I, 
Everywhere I exist, and yet I am beyond the senses, 
Neither salvation am I, nor anything to be known. 
I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva! 

Adi Shankaracharya, Tad Niskala

Please find full post here-->>

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=507721509258251&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

Everything is manifestation of God, Please refer this post-->> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=507940939236308&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

God is one and Only but called by many names according to their faith and culture. As from Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 11)

"Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Howsoever, men approach Me & surrender unto Me, even so do I seek them; for all men follow Me & My path in all respects.

So as per above said words of God, the only thing necessary in life is to have faith in God & it is immaterial in which form you seek him. If you have faith in Him & you Love Him, then it is for sure that God shall be with you always & shall reciprocate to the Love that you shower on Him.

Please find full post here-->>
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=505682816128787&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=505123762851359&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

 religion is related to this body, which disappears in time & not of the Soul which is permanent & remains even after death. So if you believe yourself to be a body which has a particular religion, then that body & religion related to that body of yours shall die with the death of that body but if you think yourself to be a SOUL then you shall live beyond this body. But remember, you cannot subscribe any religion to the Soul.

So now you tell me whether you are a Hindu , a Muslim, a Christian, a Parsi, a Jew??????? In case you think yourself to be of any religion then that religion of yours shall be with you till you have this body on earth. But if you think yourself to be a Soul then you are beyond any religion as SOUL cannot be subscribed any religion.

The above mortality of human body & immortality of Soul is beautifully described all through Bhagwat Gita & here below are few verses related to that:

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 13:

"Sri Krishna said: Just as boyhood, youth & old age are attributed to the soul & the embodied soul continuously passes through these cycles, similarly the embodied soul passes into another body at death. The wise man does not get deluded & bewildered with such a change."

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 16:

"Sri Krishna said: The unreal has no existence, and the real never ceases to be; the reality of both has thus been perceived by the seers of the truth."

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 17:

"Sri Krishna said: Know that to be imperishable & indestructible, by which all this is pervaded; for none can bring about the destruction of this indestructible substance, the imperishable soul."

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 18:

"Sri Krishna said: All these bodies pertaining to the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity / soul are spoken of as perishable; therefore, fight, Arjuna."

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 20:

"Sri Krishna said: The soul is never born nor dies at any time. Soul has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. Soul is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. Soul is not slain when the body is slain."

Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 22:

"Sri Krishna said: As a human being puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones." 

Please find full post here-->>

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=506990695997999&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

you may also find these post useful for answering your questions::


What is your true self -->> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=510117762351959&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=516260111737724&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

Karma-->> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=516876215009447&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

Ram and Krishna are same-->> 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=504058016291267&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

Shiva and Shankara are same-->> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=508361615860907&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

God is only One, so there is no existence of devil-->>

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=514205261943209&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

Brahma, Brahman, Brahmin-->>

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=511022038928198&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

What is shape of God-->> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=507429832620752&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater

Keep God in mind always and you will find God-->>

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=506123219418080&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater 

Why God created us-->>

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=518607424836326&set=pb.478241992206203.-2207520000.1357231343&type=3&theater


So from all this analysis we can easily found that, there is only one God. Hope this all help you to accept that God is one and Only...if still any question remains you are free to ask further question.. Shiva Bless...
Photo: SOUND  AND  CREATION  :  

====== By Sri Chandrashekharendra Sarswati Swami ======

[Kanchi Paramacharya Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati Swamiji was the 68 th Sankaracharya of Kanchi Karmakoti Peetham]

What is sound ? According to modern science, it is vibration. "If you examine the core of an atom you will realise that all matter is one." This Advaitic conclusion is arrived at according to nuclear science and the concepts of Einstein. All this world is one flood of energy (sakti); everything is an electromagnetic flow. But how do we account for the manifestation of different objects ? It is to be attributed to different type of vibrations.

The scientific concept that the different vibrations of the same energy are the cause of creation is the same as the belief that world was created with the breath of the Paramatman manifesting itself as the sound of the Vedas. 

Consider human beings and other creatures. What is it that determines their health and feelings ? The breath that passes through our nadis, blood vessels, during respiration produces vibrations and on them depends the state of our health. Those who keep their breathing under control through the practice of yoga are healthy to an amazing degree. They do not bleed even if their veins are cut. They are able to remain buried in the earth in samadhi stopping their pulse and heartbeat. They are not poisoned even if they are bitten by a snake or stung by a scorpion. The reason is that they keep the vibrations of the nadis under control during breathing.

Breath is vital not only to the body but also to the mind. The mind which is the source of thought and the vital (pranik) energy that is the source of breath are the same. Healthy or unhealthy thoughts are to be attributed to different vibrations of the nadis. You may test this for youself. See for yourself how you breathe when you are at peace before the sanctum of a deity or in the presence of a great and wise person and how you breathe when your mind is quickened by desire or anger. The happiness you experience when you take part in something divine, like a bhajan or atemple festival, must be different from the pleasure that sensual gratification gives you: the vibrations of the nadis concerned will also be correspondingly different.

When you experience joy of an elevated kind the passage of breath will be through the right nostril, but when you are enjoying sensual pleasure it will be through the left. When you meditate, with increasing concentration, on the Reality Serene which is the source of all your urges and feelings, the breath will pass through both nostrils slowly, evenly and rhythmically. When you are absorbed in the object of your meditation breathing itself will cease, but there will still be life. The great awareness called jnana will then be in bloom as it were.

The inert body of a man and the awareness that is the vital essence of his life are both dependent on the course of his breathing. They grow or decay according to it. The course of a man's breath keeps his inner vibrations in order.

Is it not from the Paramatman that so many countless inert objects and so many sentient beings have originated and grown ? The movements appropriate to these should have also occured in the Ultimate Object that is the Paramatman.

Even according to non-dualism, the Brahman that is utterly still and is unconditioned and has no attributes (nirguna) manifests itself in the countless disguises of this cosmos with the power of Maya, Maya that cannot be described. Disguises or no disguises, we have to concede the existence, in a mundane sense, of the inert world and of the sentient beings. But we must remember that even Maya has its source in Isvara who is "Mayin". But the power of Maya apart, all that we see have arisen from the vibrations in the Object called the Parabrahman. At the same time, with all these vibrations , this Object remains still and tranquil inwardly. This stillness not withstanding, there are movements that are apparent to our perception. They are not disorderly movements but constitute a system embracing vast heavenly bodies like the sun at one end and the tiniest of insects on the other or even something as humble as a blade of glass.

It is this orderliness that goes to make worldly life happy. The Paramatmam has created this by bringing all powers of nature within an orderly system. But if you sometimes see flaws in it and the natural forces going against us, it is because he likes to be playful now and then.

The human mind can go astray to any length. Indeed it keeps wandering aimlessly like a globin or an imp. Whatever the extent to which cosmic life is orderly, it (the human mind) breaks free from all control and runs about like a mad dog.

When the powers of nature are unfavourable to us, is there a way to change their behaviour and make them favourable to us ? Is there also a means by which our mind could be brought under control when it goes haywire ? If everything is caused by vibration, by sound, there must be a way of making the forces of nature favourable to us and of purifying our mind and bringing it under control through this very sound. The Vedas constitute such sound.

By controlling our breath through the practice of yoga, it is possible to gain access to the breath of the Paramatman and by this means perform such actions as can uplift our own Self as well as mankind. Here the vibrations of the nadis do not produce the sound that is audible to us. Science tells us that there are sounds outside the range of human hearing in the same way as there is light that does not pass through the lens of the human eye.

However, it is possible to bring within us (within our reach) that which is without. When a musician sings on the radio, the sound of his music is converted into electromagnetic waves which travel through space. But how do we hear music ? The receiving set captures the electromagnetic waves and reconverts them into sound waves.

(Science is not opposed to religion. It seems to me that it even helps in the growth of religion. A century ago, before the radio and the telephone were invented, it would not have been easy to counter the arguments of an atheist who dismisses claims made on behalf of the sound of the Vedas as absurd. Now the discoveries of science have come to our rescue. )

It is possible for humans to earn the power of energy possessed by such an inert object as the radio set. Indeed we can earn much more, do much more. It is tapas, ascetic endeavour, that will give us such energy. What is tapas ? It is the determination to find the truth: it is keeping the mind one-pointed in this search, forsaking food, sleep, home, everything. But when you are a seeker like this, you must remain humble and erase the least trace of egoism in you. You must realise that the truth you seek will be revealed to you only with the grace of Isvara. The sages performed austerities in this manner and attained to the highest plane of yoga. They could perceive the vibrations in creation, that is the course taken by the breath of the Supreme Godhead. Besides, they also knew them as sound capable of being heard by the human ear in the same manner as electric waves converted into sound waves. It is these sounds that they have passed on to us the mantras of the Vedas.

The Vedas are called "Sruti. " That which is heard is Sruti. "Srotra" means the "ear". The Vedas have been handed down orally from generation to generation and have not been taught or learned from any written text. That is how they got the name of "Sruti". Why were these scriptures not permitted to be written down ? Because the sound of the Vedas cannot be properly transcribed. There are sounds or phonemes that cannot be accurately represented in any script. For instance, the one between "zha" and "la". Such sounds have to be learned by listening. Besides there are svaras for Vedic mantras (tonal variations, proper accentuation) : "udatta" (raised syllable), "anudatta"(lowered syllable) and "svarita"(falling syllable ). Mistakes in enunciation are likely even if diacritical or some other marks are used in the printed text. Wrong chanting will not bring the desired results. There is much difference in the vibrations caused by pronouncing a syllable laying stress on it and pronouncing it without any stress. Correspondingly, there will be changes in our feelings and urges and the divine forces that rule nature.

There is a story in the Taittiriya Samhita of the Vedas which illustrates how wrong chanting can produce results contrary to what is intended. Tvasta, the divine carpenter, chanted a mantra with the object of begetting a son who would be the slayer of Indra. But he went wrong in the intonation of some syllables. So, unwittingly, he prayed for a son who would be slain by Indra instead of one who would slay that celestial. And his prayer (that had gone wrong in the intonation) was answered. When the wavelength shifts even minutely on our radio we receive the broadcast of a different transmitting station. Fine-tuning has to be done to get the required station. So is the case with the intonation of Vedic mantras. There should not be the slightest mistake in the svaras. Just as we receive a different station on our radio when the wavelength is changed, so the result is different when we go wrong in the intonation.

This is the reason why it is of the utmost importance to learn the Vedas by listening - hence the name "Sruti". Another explanation occurs to me for the name "Sruti". The sages heard, did they not, the sound of the divine vibrations that cannot be perceived by the common people ? Did they read the Vedas in any book or did they compose them themselves ? Sruti is an apt name for the Vedas since they were made known to the world after they had been first heard by the sages.

The Vedic seers have the name of "mantra-drastas" --a "drasta" is one who sees. If the sages "saw" the mantras it would mean that they did not "hear" them. Which of the two versions is correct ? Did the sages see the mantras or did they hear them ? If they saw them, in what script did they appear ? There was no script at the time, neither Devanagari nor Grantha nor Brahmi, the basis of all. But, then, the sound of Vedas, their svaras, cannot be truly written down in any script.

The answer to this problem is that when the sages were meditating the mantras of the Vedas appeared to them in a flash in their hearts. It may be that in this state of theirs they could neither see nor hear anything. The mantras must have appeared in a flash in the inner recesses of their minds.

"Seeing" or "looking" does not denote merely what is perceived by the eye. It is a term that covers a variety of perceptions and experiences. When we say that a man has "seen" all sorrows in his life, does the term "seen" imply only what he "saw" with his eyes ? Does it not mean what he has "experienced" ? The term "mantra-drasta" also could be taken in a similar manner as referring to what is perceived through experience. It is further believed that the sages were able to hear the Vedas with their divine ears.

Arjuna wished to see the Lord's cosmic form (visvarupa). The Gita has it that Krishna Paramatman said to him: "You will not be able to see my cosmic form with these eyes of yours. I will give you a celestial eye. . . . . "

Just as Arjuna was endowed by the Lord with a divine eye, the sages must have been invested with celestial ears to grasp the sound emanating from the Paramatman and pervading the vast space.

The vibrations of the Vedas serve the purpose not only of creation and the conduct of life. There are indeed Vedic mantras that help us to transcend this life and become one with the Ultimate Truth. When a man returns by the same way as he comes, does he not arrive at the starting point ? In the same way when we go seeking how creation came about, we are led to the point where there are no vibrations, no movements, where there is utter stillness. Some mantras that create vibrations in our nadis accomplish the same noble task of taking us to such a goal. Such are the Upanisadic mahavakyas and Pranava.

In sum, the Vedas are not anyone's compositions. The sages did not create them, nor were inscribed by the Paramatman on palm-leaves.   

THE  VEDAS  ARE  INFINITE :

If the cosmos of sound (sabda-prapancha) enfolds all creation and what is beyond it, it must naturally be immensely vast. However voluminous the Vedas are, one might wonder whether it would be right to claim that they embrace all activities of the universe. "Anantah vai Vedah", the Vedas themselves proclaim so (the Vedas are endless). We cannot claim that all the Vedas have been revealed to the seers. Only about a thousand sakhas or recensions belonging to the four Vedas have been revealed to them.

Brahmaa, the Creator, alone knows the Vedas in their entirety. Before the present Brahmaa there was a great deluge and, preceding it, there was another Brahmaa. And, similarly, before him too there must have been another Brahmaa. But through all these vast vistas of time, through successive deluges, the vibrations caused by the Paramatman's breath have existed in space, the vibrations that urged the first Brahmaa to do the work of creation. These vibrations are indestructible. The Brahmaa who appears after each great deluge performs his function of creation with them.

The sounds we produce are never destroyed. I remember reading that what Jesus Christ spoke 2, 000 years ago could still be recaptured in his own voice and that efforts are being made for the same. I don't know how far these efforts have succeeded. But I do know that there does exist such a possibility (of receiving a voice or sound from the past). We know that a sound, once it is produced, remains in space without ever being destroyed.

Brahmaa created this world with the sound of the Vedas and this sound is not destroyed even during a great deluge. We build a village or town with stone, earth, timber, iron, etc. All these materials are derived from the will of the Paramatman, from his thought, from the vibrations that are his will or thought. Brahmaa saw the sounds corresponding to these vibrations as the Vedas and the chanted them and brought all the world into existence.

We often see reports in the newspapers of trees flowering or fruiting in abundance in response to the vibrations of certain sounds. Some vibrations have also the effect of stunting the growth of plants. Here is proof of the fact that sound can create, sustain and destroy.

Brahmaa could create the universe with the sound of the Vedas because of his power of concentration. A siddha can cure a sick man if he intones the Panchakasara mantra - the mantra that we mutter every day - and applies holy ashes to the patient's body. He is able to do it because he has greater power of concentration than we have. If the mantra is to be efficacious it has to be chanted without any tonal error whatsoever. Only then will it bring the desired result. Brahma had the power of concentration to the full since he came into being as an "instrument" for creation.

Much could be accomplished from the void of space through electricity. From the spiritual reality called the Nirguna Brahman (the unconditioned Brahman without attributes) emanates everything. During the deluge, this spiritual reality goes to sleep. Take the case of a wrestler. When he is asleep his strength is not evident. But when we see him wrestling with an opponent we realise how strong he is. Similarly, during the time of creation, the spiritual reality is revealed to perform manifold functions. From the Nirguna Brahman comes a flow of energy to perform such functions . Brahmaa came into being as a part of this flow. Since he was all tapas all concentration, he could grasp all the Vedas with his extraordinary power. He created the world with their sound. The Vedas are infinite and so too creation takes forms that are countless.

The great sage Bharadvaja kept chanting the Vedas over three lifetimes. Paramesvara appeared before him and said to him: "I will grant you a fourth life. What will you do during it ? "The sage replied: "I will keep chanting the Vedas again." It is not possible to learn the Vedas in the entirety even over many, many lifetimes. Paramesvara took pity on Bharadvaja for all his efforts to accomplish a task that was impossible to accomplish. Wanting to change his mind, Paramesvara caused three great mountains to appear, took a handful of earth and said to the sage: "The Vedas you have learned all these years are like this handful of earth. What you have yet to learn is vast, like these mountains. 

The story of Bharadvaja occurs in the Kathaka of the Vedas. We learn from it that the Vedas are so infinite. The classification into the four Vedas and the one thousand or so recensions was a later development. Brahmaa came into being, his heart was filled with all Vedic sound. The Vedas showed him the way to perform his function of creation. He recognized that the sound of the Vedas pervaded everywhere. To him occur all Vedas. Only some mantras have revealed themselves to the sages and these constitute the Vedas that are our heritage.

At the time of chanting a mantra we usually mention the rishi associated with it, its chandas or metre and the name of the deity invoked. The sages learned the mantras with the power of concentration acquired through austerities. They were bestowed with celestial ears, so they could hear the mantras in space. It is said in the science of yoga that if our heart- space becomes one with the transcendent outward space we will be able to listen to the sounds in it. Only those who have attained the state of undifferentiated oneness of all can perceive them. It is in this way that the seers became aware of the mantras and made them known to the world. It must be remembered that they did not create them. They brought us immeasurable blessings by making the mantras known too us. If someone offers us water form the Ganga (Ganga-tirtha,Gangajal) we receive it, prostrating ourselves before him.

The man did not of course create the Ganga, but all the same reverence him in recognition of the fact that the must have travelled a thousand miles to bring us the few drops of the holy water. We cannot adore the seers sufficiently for their having made us the gift of the mantras which are beyond the grasp of our ears. That is why before canting a mantra we hold the sacred feet of the rishi concerned with our head.   

"Om Shanti Shanti Shanti"
Photo: THE PANCHAGNI VIDYA :

(Part-2)

======== From Chhandogya Upanishad ============ 

"Man, O Gautama, is the fire, speech is the fuel, 'prana' is the smoke, the tongue is the flame, the eyes are the embers and the ears are the sparks." ( 5.7.1)

"In this fire the deities offer oblation of food. Out of that offering, the vital seed (semen) is produced." (5.7.2) 

PURPORT : 

At this fourth stage of sacrifice, the fourth sacrifice is of man himself, who is involved in this entire activity. Man is the fire and his tounge acts as the flame of fire through which it accepts the oblation i.e. takes the food. Man consumes the food of the world and energises himself and produces virility. 

"Woman, O Gautama, is the fire, her sexual organ is the fuel, what invites is the smoke, the vulva is the flame, what is done inside is the embers, the orgasms are the sparks." (5.8.1)

"In this fire the gods offer semen as libation. Out of that offering the foetus is formed." (5.8.2) 

PURPORT : 

The fifth oblation is woman whose union with man brings about the birth of a child.This oblation is the immediate cause of the rise of the effect in the form of the baby that lies in the womb of the mother. Here, the womb of the mother need not necessarily mean the human mother, though the description is human, to serve as a sample of the illustration. Any cause which gives birth to an effect is the mother that produces the child. 

"Thus in the fifth libation water comes to be called man. The foetus enclosed in the membrane, having lain inside for ten or nine months, or more or less, is born." (5.9.1)

"Having been born, he lives whatever the length of his life may be. When he is dead, they carry him to the fire of the funeral pyre whence he came, whence he arose." (5.9.2) 

PURPORT : 

The Celestial Region, the Atmosphere, the Earth, Man and Woman - these are the five stages of the Fire which becomes the object of meditation known as the Panchagni-Vidya. By the interconnection, combination and harmonious adjustment of the structure of these five levels of manifestation, birth takes place.The first oblation is the universal vibration in the celestial heaven; that is the first sacrifice, and that is the first oblation. The second oblation is in the second sacrifice which is the reverberation of the vibrations in the celestial region felt in the lower regions of the atmosphere, as the fall of the rain. The grosser manifestations which are the events that take place in this world are the third oblation. The fourth and fifth oblations are Man and Woman respectively as discussed above.These are the Five Fires.

When the span of life is finished, there is what we call the death of the body, the extrication of the prana from the individual embodiment. And these Fires take the individual to the destination to which it is bound after death. Again, these Fires are there in action; they are never absent at any time. The Five Fires are nothing but the five degrees of the manifestation of universal law. In the same way as one was pushed into manifestation into this particular life, one is put out of existence here, and then taken through the same process of manifestation into other realms. The process is the same, because the Five Fires work everywhere in all the realms of being.Wherever you are, in whatever realm, in any form of birth whatsoever, these laws operate, and they catch hold of you, and condition you to certain limited forms of life.

These Fires are not to be regarded as individual events. This is the purpose of the vidya in the Upanishad. The Fires so-called are diviner manifestations of a cosmic character, and there is nothing local, physical, earthly or binding in any of these sacrifices. They are all processes of a vaster Nature in which the individual is integrally involved. 

So these are the oblations symbolically offered in the sacrifice of meditation which is called the Panchagni-Vidya.This is a secret which the Kshatriyas knew and the Brahmanas did not know. King Pravahana Jaivali was reluctant to part with this knowledge because it was a guarded secret for him and for his community. And now he exposed this knowledge to the Brahmana known as Gautama who came to him as a student, and having explained in detail these mystical doctrines of meditation - the Panchagni-Vidya - he concluded by saying that the food oblation offered in the Fire of Man, which gets converted into the seed, is what rises up as the child by birth. This was one of the questions the king put to the boy who approached him in the court. 

( To Be Concluded In Next Part ..... )
Hinduism is the only faith to have boldly and confidently proclaimed that "Truth is one, the wise call it by various names." (Rig Veda)

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